DAY 32
Week 5
MINNEAPOLIS ~ Mall Of America (Minnesota, USA)
Saturday July 22nd, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 0 miles or 0 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 4016 miles or 6463 kilometres
Will the "Twin Cities" ever be the same??? 
Having already ascertained that the fridge works better as an oven, I spent the best part of today looking for a replacement unit. I covered 102 miles in the search for the elusive replacement fridge. Who would have thought it would have turned into such an ordeal. It appears as if none of the RV dealers over here keeps a fridge on the floor, so I was quoted anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks to get a fridge here.
I got back to the Western car park of the Mall Of America around 4PM and decided to let my feminine side take over and go a shopping. I spent the next 3 hours checking out all 525 stores, 27 eateries and 2 cinemaa and a roller coaster theme park only to purchase a pair of bloody thongs. Go figure – the biggest undercover shopping centre in the world and all I want is a pair of Taiwanese safety boots!!!
I was getting a bit peckish when I stopped at Famous Dave's for a great feed of Ribs & Brisket. The angels were dancing on my tongue as it was so good.
The day wasn't a total waste as I got to meet a fella from Green Bay (Wisconsin). Steve is a few years older than me and has served his country though the Vietnam era. We chatted for several hours on life, living and at the end of it, he's invited me up to his place for a fish broil.
Steve lives 9 blocks from Lambeau Field and has offered to show me the sights and a bit of the local hospitality. Wanna guess where I'm headed next?????
Steve and I chatted for a couple of hours and I came away with fair sense of humility. Here's a guy who was drafted to fight for his country and to come back from combat in the 70's in his best parade dress only to have someone spit on him after getting off a plane in San Francisco. Don't ever think that Vietnam was the forgotten war, as we still have there are victims on both sides!!!
Tomorrow I'm off to church — after all, it's the only place you can get a drink before lunchtime!!!!
• MINNEAPOLIS ~ Mall Of America (Minnesota, USA)